This week, the New York Police Department rolled out several robots to patrol Times Square and the city’s subway system to fight crime.
According to the New York Post, this includes two “Digi-dogs,” which cost nearly $750,000. Another egg-shaped robot can patrol the subway system to detect people in the subway during restricted hours and “is equipped with more than a dozen microphones and a 360-degree HD camera, as well as sonar and lidar sensors,” as well as a license plate reader.
Digidog makes an appearance. NYPD says the department spent $750k of forfeiture money to purchase the technology. Maddrey says it will only be used at his orders. pic.twitter.com/krxNjMcYfv
— Samantha Max (@samanthaellimax) April 11, 2023
“If we were not willing to move forward and use technology to properly keep cities safe, then we will not keep up with those who are doing harmful things to hurt New York,” New York Mayor Eric Adams said of the machines in a news conference this week.
Today's cover: NYPD rolls out ‘snitchBOT’ to patrol city subways, monitor criminals https://t.co/thJgbsz0lw pic.twitter.com/9vOqKctRuX
— New York Post (@nypost) April 12, 2023
“To safeguard our modern city and a forward-looking world, it is essential that our officers are equipped with the tools, training, and technology necessary to do that job safely and effectively,” Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said during the press conference. “In the case of the NYPD, this has been true for nearly two centuries.”
“We have maximized public and officer safety through emerging technology, and that approach continues today,” Sewell added. “But we know that technology is just a tool, and it is only as effective as the person or people using it.”
A police officer who was not named told the Post that the egg-shaped robots “look like the machine that wipe up spills in the supermarket.”
“Will these robots wipe up blood from victims?” the cop added.
Last month, in Philadelphia, a robot was unveiled at Lowe’s locations. The locals reportedly nicknamed the robots the “snitchBOTs.”
Late last year, the Post reported that felony crimes on the NYC subway system escalated 40 percent compared to 2021. This included robberies, rape, murder and other violent crimes, like people being pushed off the platform into the tracks which Townhall covered.